Here are the business stories making the headlines across Scotland and the UK this morning.
New fears over Aberdeen John Lewis revamp plan – as damage reveals hidden Norco sign
Fresh fears have emerged over the future of Aberdeen’s former John Lewis building – as council bosses admit they are “unsure if any redevelopment will ever happen”.
In June, elected members approved proposals to turn the huge former department store into an entertainment centre with go-karts, a bowling alley, and a mini golf area.
But eight months on, leading councillors are yet to have any concrete updates as to when this massive overhaul might take shape.
Estimated cost of delayed hospital project rises by £15m
The estimated cost of a new Aberdeen maternity hospital and cancer centre has risen to more than £438million - £15million more than a forecast published last month.
The Baird Family Hospital and Anchor Cancer Centre were both meant to open in 2020, but have faced a series of delays. A report to be discussed by NHS Grampian now has a target date for the Baird of June 2027, with the Anchor set to open in July this year.
They were originally expected to cost up to £134million. That figure rose last month to more than £420million, according to Scottish government documents. NHS Grampian now puts that figure at £438.6million.
Aberdeen University boss says it would be ‘irresponsible’ to rule out compulsory job losses as staff to strike
Aberdeen University’s new principal admitted it is currently “difficult” to rule out compulsory job cuts – days before workers voted to go on strike.
Principal Professor Peter Edwards spoke to The Press and Journal after it revealed the North-east institution had shed more than 440 permanent employees in two years.
His interview came against the backdrop of growing staff anger over the university’s refusal to say there will be no mandatory redundancies to plug financial gaps.
Boots considers buying unwanted in-store pharmacies from Morrisons
The private equity owner of Boots is looking at some of Morrisons’ unwanted pharmacies as it considers expansion before a potential stock market flotation.
Morrisons, the private equity-owned supermarket chain, has put dozens of its in-store pharmacies up for sale in a renewed drive to cut costs.
The UK’s fifth-largest grocer is understood to have been sounding out potential buyers on a site-by-site basis after concluding that a number of its pharmacies were not financially viable.
KPMG partner fined £5,000 for using AI to cheat on AI test
A partner at KPMG Australia was fined A$10,000 (£5,200) for using an artificial intelligence tool to cheat on an internal training course about the use of AI.
The unnamed individual was made to resit the module after uploading training materials used for the course to an AI platform to help answer exam questions.
KPMG’s monitoring tools picked up the activity in August last year, prompting an internal investigation which determined the partner should have a A$10,000 fine deducted from their future income.